A harrowing earthquake struck off the coast of Cebu late Tuesday night, plunging central Visayas into chaos as buildings crumbled and residents raced into the streets. With aftershocks rattling the region, rescuers laboured through darkness to pull survivors from the wreckage.
Shortly before 10 pm local time, a magnitude 6.9 tremor struck about 10 km below the surface, centred near northern Cebu. Within hours, authorities confirmed at least 22 lives lost and 37 people injured across the province.
<img src="https://ibp-benefits.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/prod/news/uploads/images/1759278727135_8.jpg.jpg" alt="8.jpg" width="620" height="413">
In Bogo city alone, 14 fatalities have been reported, including several children. In San Remigio, the collapse of a sports complex during a local game cost six lives, among them a child struck by falling debris. Additional deaths came from Medellin and Tabuelan amidst extensive structural damage.
The earthquake&rsquo;s most visible blow fell on the heritage Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, where the stone fa&ccedil;ade partially collapsed. Miraculously, the Blessed Sacrament and iconic retablo remained intact&mdash;a glint of solace amid the rubble.
Rescue crews in San Remigio and Bogo scrambled to detect victims trapped beneath debris. Officials warned that the full toll may yet rise as efforts continue under challenging conditions.
Blackouts swept across Cebu and neighbouring central islands as the quake severed power lines. Explosions from transformers added to the alarm. Emergency services were dispatched to hospitalise the injured, while pleas for medical volunteers echoed across social media pages.
In a province already battered by a recent storm, officials declared states of calamity in affected municipalities. Governor Pam Baricuatro urged residents to stay in open areas and not return indoors until assessments are complete. As night deepened, the region waited anxiously &mdash; haunted by aftershocks and the possibility of more casualties.

Sta. Rosa church collapsed; injured rushed to hospital

Tremors rock Cebu in central Philippines, rescue scramble on amid aftershocks

Quake in Philippines kills scores, injures dozens

Tremors rock Cebu in central Philippines, rescue scramble on amid aftershocks

October 1, 2025 | 06:05 IST